Going to Beaches in Summer

Going to Beaches in Summer

Question
Dear scholars, As-salamu `alaykum. Is it permissible for a Muslim to enjoy summer at the beach ? And what are the conditions for enjoying the beach in summer ? Jazakum Allah khayran. ( Question By : Shadi - United States )

Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, thanks a lot for your question, which reflects your care to have a clear view of the teachings of Islam. Allah commands Muslims to refer to people of knowledge to become well acquainted with the teachings of Islam as well as all aspects of life.

Going to beaches for recreation is permissible for any Muslim. Practicing Muslims are not to be denied this right. Practicing Muslims, like anyone else, are free to enjoy the fresh air of the sea.

Almighty Allah permits Muslims to enjoy the lawful things He gave to them. Among these lawful things is sightseeing and enjoying the beauty of the universe. Almighty Allah says: (Say: Who hath forbidden the adornment of Allah which He hath brought forth for His bondmen, and the good things of His providing?) (Al-A`raf 5:32). But this should be within the prescribed limits, not to fall into that which is haram.

In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

In Islam, we are warned against sins of nudity, promiscuity, and permissiveness that corrupt the soul as well as the mind. They all lead to temptations, which lead to sins, and sins eventually lead to Hellfire and eternal perdition.

It is therefore imperative that, while enjoying summer at the beach, we specifically avoid areas associated with the above and find locations or times where we will be staying clear of the above completely.

While enjoying summer at the beach as a group, we are not allowed to practice indiscriminate mingling of sexes, nor are we allowed to expose our `awrah to others. Remember `awrah includes all parts of the body that we must keep covered from others (except our lawful spouses).

Finally, while enjoying summer activities we must never forget our Prayers or other essential Islamic duties of worship.

You can assign different areas of the beach for males and females for activities such as swimming, or divide the time by making schedules for them.

Use your creative mind to think of halal (lawful) alternatives, for Allah assures us that for everything He has declared as haram (unlawful) for us, there is always a halal alternative in Islam. Therefore, our challenge is to find the halal alternative.

For as long as the above mentioned factors are taken into consideration, there are no restrictions on enjoying summer at the beach.